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Vettel defends Norris: Talking about emotions shouldn’t be a weakness

Sebastian Vettel defends Lando Norris against criticism of his sensitive side—the German sees him more as a reflection of a new and more open generation

The two have clearly maintained a good relationship even after the end of one of their active careers: Although Sebastian Vettel ended his Formula 1 career at Aston Martin at the end of 2022, he and Lando Norris are still in regular contact, as the Brit revealed ahead of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix:

“Seb and I talk every now and then, and sometimes he texts me,” said Norris, adding: ‘He usually gets in touch when I probably need it most. So I really love Seb.’ The Briton expressed his gratitude: ”He always helps me, writes to me, sends me short messages, which I really appreciate, especially from someone like him. It really means something.”

Norris was also likely pleased by Vettel’s words last week when he defended the McLaren driver in an interview against criticism of his openness about his self-doubt: “I saw what Seb said,” Norris confirmed in Jeddah.

He can actually thank his buddy for that right away, because Vettel is also in Saudi Arabia, involved in a project for young female racing drivers – and is taking the opportunity to add his two cents about Norris: “The danger now is that people will start speculating about what might be going on inside him and interpret that as weakness,“ he said on Sky about the Briton, who has been struggling recently.

Vettel on Norris: ‘There’s nothing wrong with him.’

”Why is he doing this? What’s going on with him? What’s wrong with him? – But there’s nothing wrong. I think every person goes through the same inner struggles at different stages of their life. Self-doubt is the most natural thing in the world,” explains Vettel – and is equally annoyed by the taboo surrounding it: ”And yet it’s the most unnatural thing to talk about openly. And that’s wrong.”

The four-time world champion is calling for a rethink in the future: “I would like to see, and hope that, the media take up this issue and adopt a different perspective.” Vettel points out: “If you look back one or two or three generations, it was considered a weakness to talk about your feelings. It was a weakness to meet up with your rivals after the race, because they were your rivals.”

“I want to beat the guy, push him off the track in a duel – why should I invite him to dinner? That was considered soft. But is that really true?” The German wants to break down old ways of thinking: “I think when you look at the current generation, the ones who are now at the wheel, you can see how much they have evolved. And we should celebrate that.”

Vettel believes: “They understand each other, they get along, and yet the rivalry remains – they still want to beat each other, no question about it. But they also have the courage to talk about their feelings, their weaknesses, the feeling of being lost sometimes, the pressure they feel. That’s great because it inspires young people to do the same.”

Vettel thinks about the children – and sees Norris as a role model

That’s why the 37-year-old, who is a father himself, asks: “Isn’t it a good thing if children no longer feel they have to bottle everything up inside? If they realize that they can open up? And if Lando Norris does that publicly, then maybe others will also feel freer to allow themselves to feel their feelings, to talk about them – and possibly solve problems before they even arise.” Vettel’s conclusion is therefore: “This is a wonderful development.”

But why is this topic so close to the Heppenheim native’s heart that he is using his public voice to take sides with Norris? Vettel sees himself more as an observer, saying: “I see the reactions and the response – and I don’t want to claim that I’m analyzing them psychologically – but you perceive things from a different perspective, especially when you’ve been in a similar situation yourself. And then you sometimes read more than just the bare facts.”

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